Circumvention
by x-Isabellaboo-x
Summary: Without Edward to protect her and Victoria an ever present threat, Bella tries to run from her past but no matter what she tries or where she goes every path leads back to one person: Sam Uley. But nothing is ever easy for Isabella Swan Sam/Bella imprint
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Set during new moon after Edward left. **

It was always there, the proverbial elephant in the corner.

It was there everywhere I went.

It was even there when I was asleep.

The constant reminder of HIM. His absence. It was inescapably, tangibly real every minute of every day. And even if I indulged myself and forgot for a moment the pitying looks of those around me reminded me. It made me sick.

The hole in my chest was still there now, four months on. The only difference was that with the passing of time the pain gradually became anger. Long gone were the days of crying for him, and wondering why he left me, if he was happy without me. Now I was angry, bitter. I cursed anything that slightly reminded me of him, cutting it out from my life. That included my friends. Now I was completely alone, just like HE wanted. I'd invested in a leather jacket and big black combat boots that just screamed "stay away" to anyone left who would even think about approaching me. I was so angry with everything, everyone. A part of me blamed the world.

I was still a model student. Did my homework on time, kept my grades up, answered Questions (if they were asked of me). At home I still cooked for Charlie and did the housework. But that was it.

He told me that it'd be as if he'd never existed, but he didn't count on the fact that he took away my existence with him. Bella Swan didn't exist: she died that day he left her in the forest. All that remained of her was me, who existed robotically. Alone.

If I ever laid eyes on Edward Cullen again I'd kill him for breaking the sweet, innocent, trusting, naive girl I was before he left me to die in the woods.

It was another wonderful Monday. In other words I was late for school and it had been pouring down with rain all day; typical forks weather all year round. Monday was also grocery day. Begrudgingly, I pulled the truck into the grocery store car park and grabbed a trolley. In the short time it took me to get inside I was wet through (having also forgotten my rain coat this morning. Stupid Mondays.). I made my way through the aisles quickly, only grabbing the essentials, lest anyone try to talk to me. Once done, I paid for the food on Charlie's bank card, which I used more than he did now I wasn't working.

As soon as I stepped outside I stopped in my tracks, stunned. In the bed of my truck sat a woman completely soaked by the rain, her curly red hair plastered to her face and next. It wasn't her beauty that stunned me, although it could have been, but her piercing red eyes that riveted me to the spot. After a moment's pause, I carried on walking towards my truck. She tilted her head and smiled in amusement, as if she hadn't expected me to approach her.

"Victoria," I greeted neutrally, unpacking shopping bags from the trolley into the truck's dry cabin. I wasn't stupid, but neither was she. If she attacked me now other people in the car park would see. In such a small town everyone knew and looked out for the chief of police's daughter.

"What brings you here in this lovely weather?" I asked sarcastically.

She giggled – actually giggled like a school girl, easily disguising the monster that lurked behind her pretty face.

"I like this Isabella better than the timid little creature you were the last time we met," she told me conversationally.

"I try," I smirked.

"Feisty," she smiled, "it'll be much more fun this way."

"What will be?" I asked.

"Breaking you," she smiled cruelly, exposing her teeth savagely.

"In case you haven't noticed, the Cullens don't want me," I informed her, "you should save your energy for Edward's REAL mate. Or better yet, Edward himself. I'm sure killing him would be much more satisfying." I was shocked that I hadn't even flinched as his name left my lips.

"Don't you worry, I have plans for him too. But you, my pet, were the reason my James had to die, so mate or no mate you're mine," she hissed. I wisely said nothing.

"On the Brightside, at least for you, I like to play with my food," she giggled again.

"Didn't your mother teach you that's rude?" I quipped. She ignored me, instead leaning close to lick a drop of rain that ran down my neck.

"You smell good enough to eat," she groaned in appreciation, then stepped back, "good bye my dearest Isabella. I'll be watching." And with that she disappeared before my eyes could register it.

Climbing into my truck, I felt the confidence I had somehow summoned drain from my body. Suddenly I was petrified, sat shaking like a leaf. With no-one here to protect me I was as good as dead and Victoria knew it.

It was only when I got home and saw the cruiser parked in the driveway that it occurred to me. Charlie was in just as much danger as I was. If I couldn't even protect myself, how could I protect him?

"Hey kiddo," Charlie greeted, jumping up from his well loved recliner to help me with the shopping.

"What's for dinner?" he asked, putting the cans away in the cupboard.

"Left over's I think," I told him, "I'm not really in a cooking sort of mood." I really wasn't. How was I supposed to concentrate on cooking and eating when both mine, and potentially my father's, deaths were drawing closer every second? It hang over my head like a proverbial rain cloud.

"Alright," he nodded, grabbing a beer from the fridge and heading back out to watch whatever kind of sport was on this evening.

I pulled the glass dish of yesterday's left over lasagne out of the fridge and put it in the microwave for five minutes. I stuck my head round the door. Charlie was ensconced in the game. I had a few minutes before the food was ready. Resigned, I grabbed my purse, stepping out onto the back porch. After a second of fumbling around, I pulled out my pack of cigarettes and lit up, taking in a deep drag. The instant relief of nicotine flooded through my body, and I felt myself relax. No-one knew I smoked. It was an activity I only did privately. My cigarettes were brought in bulk in Port Angeles, so that word didn't get back to Charlie. If my mother could see me now I'm sure she'd lecture me on what a dirty habit smoking was. But honestly I couldn't care less. I just needed some form of...release. Smoking did that for me. It helped me think.

I couldn't stay here, not if it was risking Charlie's life. I'd leave and lead Victoria away like I'd done with the Cullens when James was hunting me. Really it was the best thing I could do. Tomorrow. I'd leave tomorrow. I would have left tonight, but I didn't have the money I would need to get away from here. After school tomorrow's empty my college fund and leave when Charlie was asleep. I couldn't bear to see his heart break this time, like it had when I left before. Like a coward I would go, only leaving behind a note. Stubbing out my cigarette, I slipped back inside and plated up the lasagne.

Dinner was quiet. Charlie, ordinarily, was a man of very few words. So when I appeared contemplative he didn't interrupt my thoughts. After eating, I cleared the table and excused myself to bed, early.

I slept, barely; my dreams were restless, and listless. A girl running endlessly lost in the woods, and the pale, beautiful angel of death.

With morning's dawn, I was dragged back into mundane reality. As much as school was the last place I wanted to be, I forced myself to go to keep up the pretence for Charlie.

All day I was on edge, looking out of windows for any sign of her, flinching every time I caught movement in my peripherals. In other words I was a nervous wreck, and it was obvious that everyone had noticed from the looks they gave me.

By lunch I had well and truly had enough. As soon as I entered the lunch hall, I felt eyes on me. The whole table of my previous friend were unabashedly staring at me.

"What are you looking at?" I asked them, hostilely. Every one of them averted their eyes, except one person.

"You," Lauren announced, "We were all just wondering what Edward saw in a nutcase like you." She smiled smugly.

A hushed silence fell across the cafeteria.

"Excuse me?" I asked incredulously, shocked at her nerve.

"You heard me," she said, coming to her feet, "You're crazy. That's probably why he left you."

I felt my cheeks stain red, this time with anger instead of embarrassment.

"He left because his father got a new job in LA," I bit out, my voice carefully even.

"Edward probably begged the family to move to get away from you. He was probably worried that if he dumped you, you'd go off your rocker and kill him or something," she snarled at me in her annoyingly high pitched voice, "Besides, nobody knows what he saw in you anyway. A man like that deserves a REAL woman."

"You mean a skank whore like you?" I asked her saccharine sweet. Murmurs of awed noises echoed around the crowd.

"What did you just call me?" Lauren shrieked, stalking towards me.

"Skank. Whore. Are you deaf as well as stupid?" I asked patronisingly.

"How dare you!" she screamed, "Take it back!"

"No. I call them as I see them," I told her, "and you are nothing but a bitch who can't keep her legs closed. I'd bet you've slept with a third of the guys in here." I could see Angela, Ben, and Mike trying desperately to contain their laughter. No-one confronted Lauren, and the truth about her was finally coming out.

"At least I know how to please a man," she smirked, "I've had more of Edward than you'll ever have. He was the best I had. You just weren't good enough for him." Her words hit a nerve. It was the final straw.

Before I could stop myself, my fist connected with her nose. There was a shocked silence as blood began to pour down her face.

"You bitch!" Lauren roared, launching herself at me.

A chant of "Fight, fight, fight!" rose up around us as we clawed and kicked at each other on the floor.

I rolled on top of Lauren, straddling her hips.

"Take it back!" I demanded, furious.

"Make me bitch!" she snarled in reply.

"Take it back!" I screeched, shaking her by the shoulders so violently her head bashed against the floor, hard.

"Enough!" The voice of our principal Mr. Greene rang out loud and clear above the shouting crowd. I was dragged off Lauren by Coach Clapp.

"What happened here?" demanded Principal Greene.

"She attacked me!" Lauren accused, breaking out into big, melodramatic tears, at which I rolled my eyes.

"Is that true Miss Swan?" He asked me, shocked.

Having been the one to throw the first punch, there was nothing I could do but nod my head.

"Lauren started it," Mike Newton volunteered helpfully, earning himself a glare from Lauren.

"I see," Principal Greene murmured, "Miss Stanley, would you be so kind as to escort Miss Mallory to the nurse. Miss Swan, I'm going to need you to come with me. The rest of you can return to your tables." He ordered, and the crowd dispersed.

At his request, I explain the confrontation with Lauren to Principal Greene, who throughout looked disappointed and concerned.

"You must understand how worrying this is for me Bella," he sighed, "Up until now you've been a model student. I realise you've had a...rough patch recently due to the departure of the Cullens, and I can't help but wonder if you are coping with their loss."

I nodded in response, but didn't say anything.

"Look," he said, taking his glasses off, "you're a bright girl. You do know it's okay to ask for help if you need it?"

"I don't need help," I told him, annoyed that he'd even suggest it.

"Alright. But if you decide you do the school councillor is available lunch time and after school," he informed me.

"I'll bear that in mind," I answered, attempting to placate him.

"Very good," Principal Greene nodded, "Now, I'm afraid I have no choice but to suspend you for a week. Its standard procedure I'm afraid."

Before I could respond, we were interrupted by a knock on the door, and the entrance of a police officer; my Dad's Deputy Steve to be precise.

"Can I help you officer?" Principal Greene asked.

"I'm afraid not. Lauren Mallory has decided to press charges for assault against Isabella Swan," he explained. I felt myself pale as he pulled out his handcuffs. I looked to Principal Greene in disbelief and he nodded, telling me that this really was happening.

Steve pulled me to my feet and cuffed my hand behind my back.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you-"

"I know my rights Steve," I interrupted, frustratedly.

"Then you'll also know I am obligated to read them to you," he warned, "Don't make this worse for yourself Isabella."

"Is this really necessary?" I demanded.

"This is standard procedure m'am. If you have an issue about this procedure or my conduct you will have to take it up with the Chief of Police," he informed me, losing any informality he had used previously.

With that I was whisked away through the crowds of on-looking students, past a very smug looking Lauren, and loaded into the back of Deputy Steve's cruiser.

The next thing I noticed was the look of shock on Charlie's face as he noticed Steve bringing me into the station.

"Bells?" he gasped.

Not replying, I hung my head in shame, knowing how disappointed in me he would be.

I was taken to a holding cell and left there to wait for processing whilst Deputy Steve talked to Charlie. The bed wasn't comfortable but I sat on it anyway, not wanting to know what had been on the floor. It wasn't long until I heard Charlie's voice raising and echoing down the hall. Drawing my knees to my chest, I covered my ears, unable to stand the sound anymore. Charlie had done nothing but try to help me, and I hated myself for making his job harder. Now I was just itching for a cigarette and it was making me antsy.

When the voices at the end of the hall disappeared I laid down on the bed, resigned. If I didn't find something to do soon I was going to go stir-crazy with nicotine lust. Carefully, I studied the plain white room. There was absolutely no personality, nothing to stimulate the mind whatsoever. So I resorted to counting the ceiling tiles, then the cinder blocks that made up the walls.

I'd gotten through the 27-and-a-half ceiling tiles and was onto the 43rd cinder block when Charlie appeared at the door.

"Come on. I'm taking you home," He told me, his face unreadable. I followed Charlie out of the station keeping my head down to avoid meeting anyone's eyes.

The short drive home was tersely silent. Glancing at Charlie, I was unable to glean anything from his expression. He pulled the car into the drive and we both sat there, neither of us attempting to leave the vehicle.

"I spoke to Principal Greene," he told me, "I understand what happened and why." I nodded, unsure of where this was going.

"I know why you hit this Lauren girl. That doesn't make what you did right though. I will not be punishing you for this; however I'm not going to make the consequences of your actions go away. I know you've been going through a hard time recently but you need to start living more in reality and in reality Bella, you can't just assault anyone who says something to upset you. I've tried really hard to give you some space to get over...him, I've overlooked your new look and attitude, and even the smoking, but this has just gone too far. This is your last chance. If anything like this happens again I'm getting you help, or sending you back to Renee,"

"I'm sorry Dad, I'll try harder, I promise," I told him, horrified that he would even talk about sending me away.

He nodded stoically.

"Bella?" he called as I climbed out of the cruiser.

"Yes Dad?"

"Clear up the cigarette butts from the garden. It's respectful of you not to smoke in the house, but don't litter in the garden," he told me, slightly amused. I blushed tomato red and ran into the house.

As soon as Charlie was gone, I left for the bank to empty my account.

All afternoon I couldn't sit still. Charlie must have noticed my shiftiness at dinner but he didn't mention it. After dinner I washed up, then did some laundry so Charlie would have something to wear for a few days after I was gone. I'd also put leftovers in the fridge and freezer so he'd have food to eat.

With little else left to do, I sat with Charlie watching him watch the game, ever aware that this could be the last time I ever spent with my father. Each contour, frown line, and freckle of his face was committed to my memory by the end of the game. He even tried to explain the rules of baseball to me, knowing that if I was ever going to understand it I would by now.

"I'm going to head off to bed," Charlie told me, jumping out of his favourite chair and stretching out, "Night Bella."

"Love you Dad. You know that right?" I asked him sincerely.

"I know. I love you too Bells," he choked out, and then ran up the stairs.

Turning the TV off, I made my way up to my room to wait. When I could hear Charlie's snoring I grabbed my bag and emptied my drawers into it carelessly then threw my toothbrush in and was finished packing.

Quickly, I scribbled out a note, apologising to Charlie, telling him I loved him, but not giving any definitive reason I had left. He could assume whatever he wanted to. People would wonder if I was running away from the law after today, or that I was going to find the Cullens, but I didn't care. I'd be dead soon, and then it wouldn't matter. Then the only thing that would matter was the fact that Charlie was safe and alive.

It was a miracle I managed to stay on my feet as I soundlessly dragged my suitcase down the stairs and out to the truck. After dumping it in the cab, I ran back inside to the coat closet to grab my raincoat and purse. Carelessly I dropped my purse, and knelt down to pick it up. At the back of the closet on the floor was an old, thumbed shoebox. Momentarily, my curiosity led me to open it. Inside the box, amongst old photos and letters I discovered a gun I had never seen before.

Without thinking, I took it into my hand, weighing it up. At a guess, I would say it was Charlie's old service gun. Suddenly, I irrationally wanted nothing more but to take it with me for protection. Although I knew it could not protect me from the threat I was running from, the idea of having a weapon made me feel safer. So I checked the safety was on before tucking it into the back of my jeans. Then I shoved the shoebox back to the corner and closed the closet.

With one last look around the place I had come to call home I left, locking the door behind me.

**AN: So there it is, the first chapter of my first fanfic :D hope you've enjoyed! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions review or message me :P xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

Running away this time was far different than last time: I was alone. There was no Alice or Jasper to protect me from Victoria this time. Petrified from the moment I closed the door behind me, I pushed the truck as hard as it would go, determined to put as much space between me and Charlie as possible before Victoria caught up with me. My stress and fear were almost palatable in the air.

I had barely been on the road five minutes when flashing lights caught my eye in the mirror and a siren wailed behind me. This was just my luck, getting caught the very first time I'd broken the speed limit. Then I really started to panic. I'd been arrested today, and if they caught me trying to leave town I could be jailed for trying to leave the jurisdiction before I was charged. My heart started to hammer against my chest frantically when I realised I was also concealing a weapon without a permit. My mind boggled at how stupid I had been.

Figuring I couldn't get anymore reckless, I kept driving, flooring the accelerator in the hope of gaining what little more speed I could. If I was going down, I wasn't going down without a fight. Worse comes to worse I could run away and hide in the woods to wait for my death. That way I'd never go to prison, and this whole thing would be forgotten. Death was funny like that, it made people forget the bad and remember the good in people.

When the truck's speedometer inched over 70 mph I had to stop myself from celebrating; it had never gone this fast, at least since I'd owned it. In fact, the last time I'd gone this fast in a car the driver was not human. I shuddered at the memory, suddenly feeling sick to my stomach.

"_Don't do anything reckless or stupid..." _

The words bounced around my head with all the finesse of a wrecking ball. It took me a while to recognise the dry, humourless sound coming out of my mouth as laughter. Before I could stop it, my body was erupting into loud, senseless hysterics.

"Payback is a bitch, isn't it Edward!" I laughed until tears rolled down my cheeks, as realisation hit me. Edward had caused all of this. He'd told me not to be reckless, but paved the way for me to be doing the most reckless thing in my life by leaving me here unprotected. And it was SO funny.

I was still laughing when the police car pulled up beside me. I was still laughing when the car swerved in front of me. But it was no longer funny when the car in front of me stopped dead, forcing me to frantically swerve off the road.

**(Sam POV)**

Night shifts were the worst. Sitting alone in a car for hours a night just seemed to rub in the fact that I didn't really want to be a police officer in the first place. Don't get me wrong, I was grateful for the extra money, and I did enjoy the few arrests that I got to do, but it was just another responsibility in my ever-growing mountain of responsibilities. I was Alpha, which currently felt like a full time occupation with Paul still unstable and more pups on the verge of phasing. That also meant I was Chief-in-training to the tribe. Billy Black was still very much alive and kicking, but gradually I was taking over his role within our people. Between all that, my construction company, and being a police officer there were just not enough hours in the day.

It was the council's suggestion that I recruited into the police force. Talk had spread, as it does in small towns, and the word was I was the leader of the La Push gang. I laughed to myself at the ridiculousness of the suggestion. When would I find time for that? The council couldn't have their future Chief's name besmirched by gossip, so suddenly I had to get an extra job which would prove that I wasn't a bad guy. So far, all it had done was rid me of extra hours of sleep.

Throwing the crumpled, empty, doughnut box into the passenger foot well, I reached for the family sized bag of Doritos that were my sole company for the next 3 minutes. At least the extra money helped with the extra food I needed. Since I phased I can scarcely remember going longer than an hour without eating something. I tried not to look at the price at the till when I went grocery shopping these days.

My musings were interrupted by the distant, faded roar of an engine. My sensitive hearing picked up on the sound before I could see it. I recognised Billy Black's old rusty-red truck instantly. He'd sold it to Charlie Swan about a year ago. Swan. My mind strayed to the image of the broken girl I found in the forest all those months ago that still haunted my dreams now. She had been so fragile, so...helpless. The wolf had felt sorry for her. He'd wanted me to take her back to my 'den' and feed her up and keep her safe from the world. It was irrational, but the wolf thought she was ours. Like we owned her because we found her. But that was crazy, so I returned her safely to her father and made sure to have one of the pack, usually Jared, patrol her house at least once a day.

The monster of a truck zoomed past, not even noticing me. When I realised the driver was going at just over twice the speed limit, I pulled out onto the road and flicked on my lights and siren. The driver seemed to hesitate, then speed up, driving even faster. Unofficially, I admired the person who could force that beast of a truck to go that fast; it looked incapable of doing much over 50. This 'high speed chase' was hands down the most exciting thing to ever happen during one of my shifts, and I relished the chase. Didn't the driver realise they'd only get a speeding ticket if they pulled over? I wondered if someone had had the gall to steal a car out of the chief of police's driveway. Surely no-one could be that stupid? Then again I couldn't imagine Chief Swan or his daughter driving this recklessly.

"Payback is a bitch, isn't it Edward?" I heard a woman's voice ask, followed by laughter. Edward as in Edward Cullen? So it must be Bella Swan driving like a maniac, and laughing like one too. I wondered what had driven her to this.

When the truck began swerving carelessly across the road I decided to put an end to this. After easily overtaking the old vehicle, I slammed my breaks on, forcing it to either stop or crash into me. The truck swerved off to the right, brakes screaming in protest. I winced at the sound, before quickly parking at the side of the road so no-one would crash into my car. As I got out, I saw a little slip of a girl running into the woods and inadvertently smiled.

Oh yes, I would hunt her down and take her home. To her home, not mine I had to remind myself.

The wolf was restless and wanted to toy with the little girl who had strayed onto his territory, but I wouldn't let him out. Instead, I followed her into the forest soundlessly, instantly feeling like I belonged. Apparently she belonged to the forest too. I couldn't scent her or hear her at all. I guessed the forest had taken an interest in this little girl that night, just as my wolf had.

Standing stiller than a statue, I inhaled deeply and listened. Above the rustling of the wind through the tree tops, I could hear faint breathing and a strong, fast heartbeat about 50 yards to my right. She was hiding from the big, bad wolf. It tickled my sense of humour. Knowing this was likely to be the only thing I'd do tonight, I indulged her, playing along with the game. Purposefully, I rustled around, snapping sticks so that she would hear me coming.

The tell-tale sounds of her scrambling about gave her away, and I chuckled quietly at her predictability. After a few moments, I silently doubled back behind her hiding place. She didn't hear me, and I watched her for a moment while I could. She had lost weight, and it made me frown. Why wasn't she looking after herself? I cleared my throat, loudly. Her scream pierced my ears, temporarily stunning me as she tried to scramble away. Quickly I stepped in front of her, blocking her path. She looked up at me guiltily, all doe eyes and innocence. As soon as I met her eyes I froze.

Time stood still as my life rewrote itself around this little girl, my soul entwining with hers until I could no longer tell where I ended and she began. I was so awestruck and lost in the moment, I nearly didn't notice her trying to slip away again.

"Oh no you don't," I told her before throwing her over my shoulder possessively and walking back to the roadside.

"Put me down!" she demanded furiously, kicking and squirming in an attempt to be free of my unbreakable hold. She had a lot more fight in her then I had realised and I liked it.

When we reached her truck, I placed her carefully on her feet. Instantly, I saw her look to the woods contemplatively.

"Don't you even think about it Isabella Swan. I will catch you, drag you straight back here and cuff you to my car," I warned her sternly. She frowned, clearly unhappy about being ordered around.

"Do I know you?" she asked, coldly.

"We've met once," I said dismissively, moving round to the passenger side of her truck. There I found a substantial suitcase, a coat and her purse. Was she running away? I growled under my breath. She wasn't going anywhere.

"What are you doing?" she asked, sounding concerned.

"You ran away so I have to search you and your vehicle," I informed her, watching her pale.

"Or you can save us both the bother and tell me what you're hiding."

Guiltily, she stared at her feet before nodding. Her hand reached behind her back, and she produced a gun. Biting her bottom lip anxiously, she handed it to me.

"Tell me you have a permit," I demanded, trying to distract myself from just how much I wanted to bite that lip. She shook her head.

"It's Charlie's," she mumbled.

"Dammit Bella! Speeding and carrying a weapon? What the hell did you think you were doing?" I asked, angrily. I couldn't believe her stupidity.

"It's none of your damn business!" she growled back.

"Get in the car," I ordered, pointing to my cruiser.

"Are you arresting me?" she asked sarcastically sweet.

"Get. In. The. Car," I instructed, keeping my voice carefully even.

"I will not get in your car unless you are placing me under arrest," she informed me, dignifiedly.

Grabbing her arm, I dragged her over to my cruiser and sat her in the front seat.

"You stay here, or so help me god I will put you over my knee," I warned, slamming the door shut.

"You can't do that!" she cried incredulously at my back as I was walking away. I ignored her.

Swiftly, I grabbed her suitcase, coat and purse and locked her truck with the keys she'd left in the ignition. Carelessly, I threw it all into the trunk of my car, and then climbed into the driver's seat.

"What were you doing Bella?" I asked her, calmly. She ignored me. Her whole demeanour was really starting to grate on my nerves.

"You can trust me," I told her, hoping to coax an answer out of her.

"If I can trust you, you won't tell Charlie about this. It would kill him," she said, glancing at me through her long brown hair.

"You don't think waking up to find you gone would have been worse?" I challenged her, raising an eyebrow.

"You don't know anything about it!" she shouted, her cheeks flushing red with her anger. It was adorable.

"You're right. I don't," she looked at me quizzically, "But what I do know is that it's selfish and cowardly to leave your father without saying anything to his face." I told her with a frown, knowing I was thinking far more about myself than Chief Swan, but she wouldn't know that.

Bella laughed, a horse, dry sound lacking any humour.

"Being selfish. Yeah, that's totally what I'm doing," she shook her head, a wry smile on her face. I didn't understand what that meant.

"Look..." she fumbled.

"Sam," I interrupted her, "Sam Uley."

"Sam, just take me down to the station and get it over with. I don't need your judgement or advice," she told me seriously.

"Really, because it looks like you're making one hell of a mess of things," I interjected, raising my voice. I was a man, and not just any man but Alpha. There was no way I was going to be ordered around by a little girl with an attitude problem.

"You and your self-righteous attitude can fuck right off. You know nothing about me or what I'm going through. I don't know why you care, but you can stop giving a crap and do your job," she yelled at me, her hand reaching for the door handle.

"Put your seatbelt on," I growled, turning my key in the ignition.

"What about my truck?" she demanded sarcastically.

"Just do as you're told. I'm doing you a favour here and you don't want to make me regret it," I suggested my voice low. Silently she did as she was told.

The short drive back to her house was tersely silent. I was too angry and lost in thought to even attempt to talk to her. Imprinting wasn't supposed to be like this. Jared's Kim had fallen in love with him instantly and they were happy campers from day one.

Something about Isabella Swan just got under my skin. I don't know what she was trying to prove with all the anger and bitterness but it didn't suit her and it was fooling no-one. She was still just as broken as she had been when I found her in the forest, I was sure of it. But Bella seemed to have taken the whole world to war over it. That leech had really screwed her over. I swore to myself I would kill him if he dared to step foot in forks again.

There was no way I was going to put up with her crap though.

After parking my cruiser next to Chief Swan's, I jumped out the car and collected Bella's stuff from the trunk. Wordlessly, she let us both into the house, holding the door open for me. Charlie must have taught her some manners after all, I chuckled to myself.

"Which one's your room?" I whispered, trying not to wake up her sleeping father.

"I can carry my own bag up there," she hissed at me, trying to snatch the suitcase from me. Ignoring her attempts, I started up the stairs.

"It's the first door," she whispered after me reluctantly.

I pushed the door open and quietly placed her suitcase on the bed, careful not to make any noise. Surveying the room, I took in every detail, or lack thereof. There were not pictures on the walls, no books on the shelf. Just a bed, a rocking chair and a desk with an old computer sat on it. The room was bland, void of any life or personality. As I made my way down the stairs, I wondered if her room had always been so empty, or if it had become that way since the leech left.

"Where did you find the gun?" I asked her, pulling the old weapon out of my pocket.

"Hall closet. There's a shoebox at the back," she told me, arms wrapped around her chest as if she was trying to hold herself together.

With the gun safely where it belonged, there was little reason for me to stay, no matter how reluctant I was to leave Bella. Try as I might, I could find no valid reason to stay, and I was also on a shift.

I showed myself to the door, ever aware of the girl trailing behind me.

"Thank you Sam," she said softly as I stepped through the door.

"Don't let me catch you again. I'll return your truck and it better be here in the morning," I warned her. Bella slammed the door in my face in response. Walking to the car, I couldn't help but smile despite myself. The girl was so stubborn. It was going to be a struggle to have any relationship with her. But maybe the challenge was just what I needed.

**(Bella's POV)**

As soon as he left I slid down the wall, pulling my legs up to my chest to hold me together. Sam Uley set me on edge. Inexplicably, I felt drawn to him like a moth to a flame and it made me angry. For a second when our eyes met I felt whole again, like I could breathe for the first time in months. Then the hole in my chest had clawed its way back, just as vehement as it had always been.

Never had one person made me feel so conflicted: my instincts screamed at me to be as close to Sam as possible and to get as far away as I could. It unsettled me, scattering my thoughts and emotions all over the place. It confused me that every time I shouted at him all I wanted to do was apologise. It confused me that I had an overwhelming urge to touch him. But most of all it confused me that I had to try to be angry around him. In fact I was so used to my constant anger I had no idea what to do when I could no longer feel it. The effect he had had on me scared me.

But the thing that scared me the most was the undeniable sense of rightness I had seeing Sam in my house. He should not have belonged here but he did. My head just couldn't make sense of it all; Sam was a perfect stranger.

Worst of all, when he disappeared into my room the voice in the back of my head screamed that his presence was betraying the memory of Edward. It tore at my chest, and for a moment I thought I'd be sick. It was all so wrong. I didn't care if I betrayed Edward, he was the one who had betrayed me in the most permanent way. I was so furious at myself for even thinking such a thing. It was over between us. He was never coming back, and I didn't want him to come back. I really didn't.

But there was a part of me deep, deep down, that was still irrevocably in love with Edward Cullen. I hated myself for being that weak.

However, Sam Uley was the cause of all these emotions and realisations. It was easy for me to transfer the blame to him, focusing all my anger and resentment on him instead of myself.

After a while I crawled up to bed and settled down for the night. Tomorrow I would leave again and this time I wouldn't be caught for speeding. I would get away from Forks, and make sure Charlie was as safe as he could be. But between now and then, I resolved to avoid Sam Uley at all costs.

**A/N: So Sam and Bella have met. What do you think of their relationship so far? Review and let me know :D xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

_I walked and walked. Time made no sense as I pushed slowly through the thick undergrowth. It was hours passing, but also seconds. Maybe it felt like time had frozen because the forest looked the same no matter how far I went. I started to worry that I was travelling in a circle, a very small circle at that, but I kept going. I stumbled often, and, as it grew darker and darker, I fell often too._

_Finally, I tripped over something – it was black now, I had no idea what caught my foot – and I stayed down. I rolled onto my side so I could breathe, and curled up on the wet bracken. As I lay there, I had a feeling that more time was passing than I realised. I couldn't remember how long it had been since nightfall. Was it always so dark here at night? _

_Sometime later, the rain woke me up. I don't think I'd really fallen asleep; I was just lost in an unthinking stupor, holding with all my strength to the numbness that kept me from realizing what I didn't want to know._

_The rain bothered me a little. It was cold. I unwrapped my arms from around my legs to cover my face._

_Suddenly there was a sound, startlingly close. A kind of snuffling, an animal sound. It sounded big. I turned towards the sound, only to find myself face to face with a black wolf the size of a bear. Was that even possible, I wondered to myself. As a wet nose descended upon me, I scrambled away instinctively._

_On numb legs I stumbled through the forest away from the black wolf, knowing he could catch me easily. This time I knew I must be going in circles because no matter which way I ran I always came back to the place the wolf sat waiting for me._

_I ran past the wolf one more time, in a final futile attempt to get away when I heard a voice behind me._

"_Bella," the voice called, deep and familiar, full of recognition. He wasn't calling my name to search; he was acknowledging that I was found. _

_I stared up, impossibly high, to the dark face of Sam Uley. _

_The tall man held out a hand. I gazed at it, not sure what I was supposed to do. His black eyes appraised me for a second, and then he shrugged. But before he could do or say anything more, I turned and left him there, running from him as I had from the wolf._

I jolted awake suddenly, jerking upright in my bed, my heart pounding frantically in my chest. Somehow, Sam Uley had gotten into my dream. I shuddered at the thought, feeling uncomfortable with his invasion into my subconscious, and how it had somehow twisted and changed my recurring nightmare. What I really couldn't understand was the wolf.

Was the wolf something my imagination had conjured up, or was there really something there with me in the forest?

I took a peek out of my window and noticed that Sam had been true to his word, and my truck was sat in its usual spot on the driveway. It was a good thing too; Charlie's cruiser was gone and he would have flipped if my truck wasn't there.

The day dragged on, time passing slowly as time does when you have little to preoccupy yourself with. I cleaned every surface, but found little satisfaction in it as they all still sparkled from yesterday's cleaning frenzy.

I considered taking Charlie lunch at the station, but there was no way I was going to show my face there after yesterday's fiasco.

Instead I switched on the television. Flicking through the channels, I watched the nameless faces lost in their own pseudo-realities. They had no idea how lucky they were not to have to live in reality, I thought to myself wryly. But each time I changed channel I became more aware of the Hollywood smiles, the perfect hair, the perfect makeup; it was all superficially too perfect, just like the Cullens.

Shuddering at the thought, I turned the telly off, slamming the remote down on the coffee table. This was exactly why I never watched television. Or listened to music. Or read books. Everything reminded me of THEM, and it made me so angry.

Furiously I jumped to my feet, kicking the sofa hard. I knew it was a mistake as soon as my toes hit wood. With a yelp I fell on my ass and clutched my injured foot. Angry tears leaked treacherously down my face, forming cold paths down my hot, red cheeks. It just wasn't fair. None of it was.

I limped up the stairs, miraculously managing not to fall back down. Silently I ran myself a hot bath, hoping it would make me feel better. What I really wanted was the liquid comfort that the bottle of jack under my bed could give me, but there was no way I was going to risk being pulled over for driving under the influence tonight. I got into the bath, letting the hot water relax my muscles and clear my mind.

Dinner was just as uncomfortable as it had been the night before. Charlie and I had never been overly verbose, but the last few days had been ridiculously quiet.

"I hear you've got one of the rez kids working down at the station," I asked in a weak attempt at generating conversation.

"I wouldn't exactly call him a kid," Charlie muttered, before unceremoniously shovelling in another mouthful of food.

"Is it anyone I know? And why the forks police? I thought the rez policed their own," I questioned, shifting the food around my plate with my fork.

"His name is Samuel Uley. The rez does police their own, so I was confused when Billy asked if I could give him some work. I'd heard the rumours about Uley, so I wasn't sure about employing him, but so far he's been a great officer. I don't know where people got such bad impressions about the man," Charlie told me sincerely.

"What rumours?" I asked, suddenly interested.

"Apparently Sam is the leader of a gang in La Push, although I really wouldn't believe it," he shrugged.

"What kind of gang?" I queried, struggling to imagine the man I met last night in any sort of gang.

"Dunno. Apparently Uley and his friends hang out in a group and have stopped socialising with kids their age," Charlie shook his head, "people talk a lot of trash Bells. Billy says Uley is mentoring the rest of them, and the whole group are doing work for the tribal council."

"Hmmm," I mumbled unintelligently.

"Uley only works on the force part time. Mostly nights I think, so he has time to work for the council," Charlie volunteered, not knowing how helpful he'd just been.

"That's...admirable of him," I told Charlie, clearing our empty plates from the table, and dumping them in the sink.

"You cooked. I'll wash up," he told me, following me into the kitchen.

"Thanks dad," I kissed him on the cheek, "I'm going to bed. Gonna have an early night."

"Sleep well Bells," he told me, with a small smile which broke my heart a little bit more.

"You too," I choked out, rushing to my room before I could tear up. If Charlie saw that he would know something was wrong.

Miserably, I threw myself down face first onto the bed. This was never supposed to happen, I moaned to myself. Mentally, I cursed Edward for putting me in danger then leaving me defenceless. Maybe that was the plan after all; leave little human Bella behind so she could be killed by a psycho bitch. That way I was out of the way, and his little "mess" was tidied up for him.

A sudden beeping noise coming from my desk made me jump a foot in the air. Confused, immediately started searching for the source of the noise. It didn't take long to find. Sat openly on the desk was my mobile phone. I frowned at it. Charlie had brought it for me so he could always contact me, thus avoiding any more incidents like the night Edward left.

The thing that puzzled me was that I'd never used it. In fact the day it was given to me I had placed it, still in its box, into a drawer and never looked at it again. So what was it doing on my desk and making noises?

I pressed a button and the screen lit up, revealing that I had a text message. Cautiously, I opened it, knowing I hadn't given anyone my number.

_My Darling Isabella, _

_How are you fairing?_

_Is the stress getting to you yet?_

_Don't worry my pet, you still have time._

_The games are just beginning!_

_See you soon my pet!_

_All my love,_

_Victoria x_

I froze on the spot. She had been in my room to get to my phone. She had been in my house where Charlie was innocently unaware of her. Suddenly I needed to get out of this place far more urgently. I had to lead her away from Charlie. This last few months I hadn't been a brilliant daughter, but I would save him from Victoria if it was the last thing I did.

Thankfully, Charlie came up to bed only a few minutes later. After waiting ten minutes to be sure he was asleep, I grabbed my bag and carefully made my way down the stairs.

It was like déjà vu climbing into the truck again, as the same sense of unbridled terror filled my body. The difference was tonight I would not break the speed limit or be caught carrying a weapon. Even if Sam Uley was working tonight, he'd have no reason to pull me over this time. Taking a deep breath, I turned the key in the ignition and felt the truck roar to life.

Turning onto the road, I made sure to adhere to the speed limit religiously. My heart rate began to increase with my anxiety until I could hear my heart beat loader than the growl of the truck engine. I can do this, I told myself over and over again. I had to do this, not for me, but for Charlie. I had to be strong just one last time.

A flash of movement in my peripherals caught my attention, but looking as hard as I could I could see nothing there. Swiftly, I was brought back into reality by a loud popping sound behind me. The truck began to violently swerve beneath me, and I fought with the steering wheel frantically trying to gain control of the vehicle.

By some miracle, I managed to guide the truck to the side of the road and slammed the breaks on desperately. For a moment I sat there in shock, my heavy panting the only sound breaking the silence as I tried to catch my breath.

Frustrated, I jumped out of the truck to see what had caused me to almost crash. It was pretty quickly obvious that the back tire had a hole the size of a baseball in it.

"Fuck!" I cursed loudly, my voice echoing angrily back at me from the trees.

Seeing as I hadn't brought my phone with me, I was stuck here at the side of an empty road next to the woods, 20 minutes walk away from the nearest house, alone. I was so stupid.

"Why. Do. These. Things. Always. Happen. To. Me?" I screamed, accentuating each word with a punch to the side of my truck.

Exasperated, I slid down the side of my truck and sat cradling my now sore hand. How was I going to explain this to Charlie? How was I going to get the truck back home in order to explain it to Charlie? The amount of trouble I was about to get in was enough to make me consider walking into the woods and asking Victoria to just kill me now.

But before I had the chance of death by vampire I was blinded by headlights. The familiar shape of a police cruiser pulling over behind my truck was reassuring, yet unsettling; I didn't want to be stuck out here all night, nor did I want to have another encounter with Sam Uley. But low and behold a pair of feet stepped into my line of vision, and I looked up to see the one face I hadn't wanted to see.

"Car trouble?" Sam asked.

"Nope. Just decided to sit by the side of the road for hours," I told him with a sarcastic smile.

He didn't smile, laugh, or even roll his eyes. Sam just stood there, sternly glaring at me.

"One of my back tires went," I muttered, looking away as my cheeks stained red at his disapproval.

"Do you have a spare?" he asked neutrally.

"I don't know," I muttered.

"Lets go take a look then," Sam said grabbing both my hands and pulling me to my feet as if I weighed nothing, "this is a Chevy right?" he asked.

"I think so," I muttered.

With a nod, Sam got on the floor and shimmied under the bed of the truck on his back.

"What are you doing?" I asked, quizzically.

"Getting your spare tyre," he grunted, then pushed a tyre out from under the truck. I grabbed it quickly, standing it up on its side and rolling it out of the road.

"I'll go get my jack and tyre horn," Sam announced, now on his feet. I watched him walk away. The feeling of unease settling in my stomach that settled in my stomach refused to go away until he returned and it scared me. It was beyond comprehension that someone I hardly knew affected me so strongly. The shiver that rippled its way down my spine as our arms brushed in passing scared me even more. And after then I couldn't stop shivering. Sam turned and frowned at me.

"Are you cold Bella?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"Urrrm..." I muttered unintelligently. In all honesty I was cold, but I didn't want to admit it to him. There was no way I was making myself any more vulnerable to him until I figured out what was going on with me. Rolling his eyes exasperatedly, he started unbuttoning his uniform shirt.

"You don't have to," I told him awkwardly. Sam just gave me a look and kept unbuttoning. Underneath the dark blue police uniform he wore a tight white vest. And when I say tight I mean skin tight, clearly showing the lines of impressive abs. My eyes went from his abs, up to his arms, then straight back to his abs. Sam couldn't be much older than twenty. Was it even possible to be so ripped so young? I wondered if he was on steroids.

I was brought out of my trance by the sound of a throat being cleared. Quickly I looked up and saw Sam holding out the shirt to me, an smirk on his face. My cheeks stained red, embarrassed. "Thanks," I mumbled, swiftly taking the shirt off him and shoving my arms in the sleeves. The fabric was warm, as in fresh from the dryer warm. I frowned at Sam, wondering if he was running a fever, but he seemed in perfect health as he easily jacked up my truck.

Since he was distracted, I couldn't resist lifting the collar of his shirt to my nose and inhaling deeply. It smelt like man, forest, and something else that I couldn't quite identify, the combination of which was amazing.

"Are you smelling my shirt?" Sam asked me, looking up from my tyre clearly amused.

"Maybe," I whispered, looking away shyly.

"What's the verdict?" he asked, turning the tyre iron effortlessly.

"Well I now know you clean your clothes and use deodorant," I joked. Sam shook his head and chuckled. Having removed the last lug nut, Sam lifted the decimated tyre and froze, his whole body tense.

"How did you puncture this tyre?" he demanded through gritted teeth.

"How am I supposed to know?" I snapped defensively, "I was watching the road, not my tyres."

With a bang, Sam threw the decimated tyre into the bed of my truck. He stood with his back to me, fists clenched and visibly trembling with anger. I was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to touch him and reassure him. Gently, I placed my hand in his shoulder.

"Look, it's only a punctured tyre. No-one was hurt. It's easily fixed," I attempted to soothe him. Under my touch I felt Sam marginally relax.

"What if I hadn't been here?" he practically growled.

"But you were here. And if you hadn't been I would have been fine. Don't get your panties in a twist," I bit out, withdrawing my hand uncertainly. Sam choked out a strange sound, somewhere between a growl and a snort. I didn't understand why he was so angry. It was only a puncture.

"You going to finish replacing the tyre or are you going to make me do it?" I asked, half jokingly.

Grabbing the spare tyre, Sam muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "I'd like to see you try". I chose to take the higher road and ignore it.

"This tyre's old and worn, so it will need replacing pretty much straight away. It'll do to get you home tonight though," Sam told me, tightening the last lug nut.

"I'll make sure to do that," I assured him. There was no way I'd be able to travel far on an old tyre.

"So where were you off to tonight?" Sam asked, casually leaning back against my truck, an eyebrow raised.

"Just for a drive," I answered him, crossing my arms over my chest, unable to meet his eye.

"Sure you were," he drawled sarcastically.

"What does it matter to you?" I snarled, with an angry frown.

"It's my job to protect you. These woods aren't safe at night," he informed me seriously.

"And just who placed you in charge of my protection?" I demanded, furious at another man treating me like a child.

"The state of Washington," Sam wryly smiled, "I'm a police officer remember?"

"Right," I bit out, frustrated.

"C'mon," Sam said, pushing away from the truck, "Let's get in the car."

I jumped a foot when a hot hand made contact with the small of my back. Sam either didn't notice, or he ignored my reaction and continued to lead me over to his cruiser. Politely, he opened the door for me and I reluctantly climbed in.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked, when Sam didn't drive towards my house.

"To the diner. I figure if this is going to become an nightly event we might as well get to know each other," he explained. I frowned, feeling suspiciously like I'd been tricked into this.

"Shouldn't you be working?" I asked him.

"I'm allowed to take a break. Besides, this is Forks. Nothing ever happens here anyway," he shrugged.

I held back a laugh at his statement. On the surface nothing ever happened in Forks, but in the short time I'd lived here so many crazy things had happened it seemed like Forks was the most eventful place I'd ever lived.

Before I knew it, we'd pulled up at the diner. So much for staying away from Sam Uley.

**A/N: Sorry my update's so late, been busy with exams and work. Review and let me know what you think **


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